MOUNT IDA – The sweet taste of fall can be sampled at the Heritage House Museum Saturday, October 31 as they share the fruits of their harvest at the sixth annual Sorghum Festival.
The festival is the culmination of months of work by several volunteers to provide local residents and visitors with a taste of the past.
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. and will continue throughout the day. It will feature locally made sorghum that you can sample with fresh made biscuits. There will also be cane available for those who would like something to chew on while they watch volunteers strip the cane and squeeze the juice. You will also be able to take a tour of the cook house where the juice transforms into the tasty treat.
Sorghum making is a long standing tradition in Montgomery County and the festival is a highlight of the year for the museum.
For years sorghum was one of the only sources of sweetener for residents. The cane ripens over the summer and is harvested in the fall. Once the cane is harvested it is hauled to the mill located behind the Heritage House Museum and hand fed through the mill, which is powered by a horse or mule.
As the cane is crushed in the mill the juice runs through a pipe to the cook room. Once it reaches the cook room it will slowly make its way from one end of a 14 foot stainless steel pan to the other. It travels through a series of baffles which aide in the cooking.
The festival is a great opportunity for families to catch a glimpse of life as it used to be in Montgomery County.
The Heritage House Museum is located at 819 Luzerne Street on the junction of Luzerne Street and Highway 27 South in Mount Ida. For more information call (870) 867-4422.
